Electromechanical relays are the standard means for switching high frequency (e.g., >1 MHz) signals, such as T1 or DS1 (1.544 Mbit/sec) carrier signals. Two advantages electromechanical relays have over solid-state relays are the lower ON resistance (when the relay contacts are closed) and higher isolation (when the contacts are open) at high frequencies. However, electromechanical relays are large, noisy, require relatively large power to operate, and are slow to operate, compared to solid-state relays. Additionally, conventional electromechanical relays are not practical for applications that require high voltage switching at high repetition rates such as power electronics, for example.
It would be desirable to develop a solid-state relay and a controller for the same, wherein the solid state relay is capable of: switching high-frequency signals; switching at high speed; and switching high voltage inputs at high repetition rates.